Ella elizabeth west and jacob soudebs west



(No Mdel.)

E. B. 8v J. S. WEST.

SKIRT SUPPORTBR.

Patented Aug. Z3, 1887.

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@vita/wooo@ turno trarne PATENT @tirreno ELLA ELIZABETH VEST AND JACOB SOUDERS WEST, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

sKiRT-SUPpPoRTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,637. dated August 23, 1887. Application filed .August 211, 1836. Serial No. 211,528. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that we, ELLA ELIZABETH WEsT and JACOB SoUDnRs WEST, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented aV new and useful Improvement in Skirt- Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the device which forms the sub- I-O ject-matter ofthe present invention is to relieve the hips and waist of the weight of the skirts and transfer the same to the shoulders.

Theinvention consists, essentially, in attaching a skirt-supporter or bustle to the waistband of a body portion or corset which is provided with shoulder-straps.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the device secured to the body of the wearer. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device detached. Fig. 3 is a section of one ofthe upright stays. Fig. 4 is a section illustrating the construction of the bustle or supporter. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the front stays or corset-section.

The body portion or corset consists of a waistband, a, anda band, b, aboveit, the two being connected together at suitable intervals by means of stays c. These stays are provided with sockets for the reception of stiffeningribs o, which may be of steel, bone, reed, or similar material. The front stays, c', are provided with any suitable means for securing the corset to the body of the wearer, the cord and eyelets shown in the drawings being preferable, because simple and effective, affording ample means for tightening the article on the body of the wearer to any desired extent.

(l are the shoulder-straps, attached at back to the upper band, b, of the corset through the medium of elastic webbing e, and provided at front with eyelets f for engagement by hooks g, secured to the front part of the corset.

The skirt-supporter or bustle consists, essentially, of a strip, h, of steel, bone, reed, or similar material, bent and secured to thelower edge of the waistband a by means of a web,

t'. The strip h is secured t0 the outer edge of the web t', the latter being substantially of crescent shape. The two extremities of the strip 7L are thereby brought into close contact with the waistband at the sides of the wearer,

while intermediate of its extremities the disbeing supported from the shoulders of the wearer, all discomfort arising from the weight of the skirts upon thehips is entirely avoided. The eyelets in the shoulder-straps form ample means for supporting the bustle at any height desired, while the elastic at the back allows the free movement of the body without that restraint which would be incident to the use of non elastic shoulder straps and a corset or similar article of apparel which is incapable of sliding up and down upon the body.

We do not desire to limit ourselves to the use of any particular kind of fabric for the various straps, bands, and other parts of the device, as there are many which are suitable for the purpose. This is left to the discretion of the maker, as it must depend somewhat upon the quality and price ofthe article to be produced.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. As a new article of manufacture, askirtsupporter comprising the upper and lower horizontal bands, a b, the rear and side vertical stays, c, intermediate of the said bands and connecting the same, the front vertical stays, c', secured to the terminal ends of the bands and having an intermediate connection, substantially as described, the shoulder-straps connected to the upper band, and a bustle attached to and arranged in the same plane as the lower band, as set forth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a skirtsupporter comprising the upper and lower horizontal bands, a b, the rear and side vertical stays, o, intermediate of the said bands, the front vertical stays, c', secured to the terminal ends ofthe bands and having an intermediate our own We have hereto affixed our signatures connection, substantially as described, the in presence of two Witnesses. strip h, arranged in rear of and connected to the waistband, the Web intermediate of the 5 waistband and strip, and the shoulder-straps connected to the upper band, b, substantially Witnesses:

as described, for the purpose set forth. BENJAMIN T. YATEs,

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as WILLIAM D. SMITH. 

